Trio caught with Rs 20 lakh at Hubballi airport

TNN

March 15, 2019

Hubballi, Mar 15: The Gokul Road police have seized Rs 20 lakh from three persons at the airport on Thursday evening as they were not carrying any document to prove it belonged to them.

As the model code of conduct is on force, a person carrying more than Rs 50,000 to Rs 10 lakh cash must carry valid proof for the cash.

Hubballi tahsildar Shashidhar Madyal and Gokul Road police inspector D P Nimbalkar told TOI that Jagadish Gurgunti, Nagappa Sanade, Devan Appasaheb Desai, all from Jamakhandi in Bagalkot district were about to board a Bengaluru bound flight on Thursday evening. The airport staff found bundles of cash in their baggage while scanning them and alerted police.

Police from Gokul Road police stations and members of the flying squad rushed to the airport and began qustioning the three passengers. They asked them why they were not carrying any document regarding the money.

“When police asked them why they were carrying such huge money with them, Jadish Gurgunti claimed that all the money belonged to him and that he handed over part of that money to Sanade and Desai. He also said he was carrying the money for his personal expenditure. We grew suspicious about his answer and informed income tax officials,” said Nimbalkar. “The income tax department will investigate the case and we will file a case based on their findings,” he said.

Nimbalkar said if any person is caught carrying more than 10 lakh even with valid proof, then the case will to be handed over to the Income Tax department.

Liquor worth Rs76 lakh seized near Gadag

Excise department officials seized 14,800 litres of liquor worth Rs 76 lakh near Achamatti Cross in Naragund taluk in Gadag district on Thursday.

Gadag district excise deputy commissioner Mohammad Abid Husain said staff deployed at a check post intercepted a vehicle carrying whisky and rum that was heading to Karnataka State Beverages Corporation Limited in Gokak from Sahayadri distilleries in Hassan. During the search it was found that the driver had violated the transit permit route. During elections, changing transit permit route is an offence, he said.

“If the vehicle was to go to Gokak, then why did the driver enter Gadag district? it was not necessary and raised suspicion among us. The driver was to clearly mention an end to end route map in the permit but that was missing. We have booked a case against the driver and seized the vehicle and liquor. Nargund police are investigating the case,” Abid Husain told reporters.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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